Door and window structure for convertible bodies



May 8, 1951 J. w. J. AcKERMANs 2,552,503

DooR AND wTNDow STRUCTURE EoR CONVERTIBLE BODIES Filed Dec. 22, 1947 54)$55 Sg v I /6 2o M06 fo Imi-255%@ 29 IN V EN TOR.

Jon MJ C/e/"m cms.

BY l Qmewwa, Q au.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 8, 1951 PATENT OFFICE noon WINDOW STRUCTURE Fon CONVERTIBLEBODIES `John W. .-I. Ackermans,` Detroit, Mich. Application Decemter 22,194.7, serial No. 793,272

Claims.

`This invention relates t` yeliole bodies, and

more particularly to Vehicle bodies of the fourdoor convertible sedantype such as are commonly used on automobiles.

In some present constructions of this type, a center pillar separatesthe front and rear idoors on each side, and above this pillar,separating the front and rear window frames carried by the respectivedoors, is an upper pillar which, when the top is lowered, may be eitherleft erect, folded inwardly or wholly removed and stored until the topis to be putup again. v i

In other convertible tops of this type, the upper pillar is adjustablyand replaceably iixed to the lower center pillar only. In place of thelower center pillar a ceriter panel is sometimes used. Said upper pillarmay be substituted by a center window the frame of which is secured `tothe lower pillar or center panel at the belt line of the vehicle. Thisconstruction,l however, is not entirely satisfactory fromthe standpointof esthetic considerations, and also because of the difficulty ofaligning the center window frame with the frames of the front and reardoors slidable, foldable or Vstatioiiary upper window frames; alsobecause the center `window frame projects forwardly so far as torestrict shoulder room and thus interferes with easy entrance to thevehicle.

To eliminate these objectionable features, the present inventionprovides a heavy center window pane, without outer frane, whichiscarrieduby the upper part of one of the doors,- thereby eliminating thecenter window frame and its inner Weatherst'rip, if desired; also onlyone door gap joint has to be aligned with ,the center window and themeans of securing the center member to the top of the lower centerpillar are no longer necessary. This combination center window and upperdoor channel extension makes also a more rigid construction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a convertiblefourl-door sedaii type body of improved design and operability.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a body of the typeindicated having improved appearance features, and wherein assembly ofthe parts in manufacture is facilitated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent' fromthe following description, taken in connection with the appendeddrawings, in which; 1

i Fig. 1 is a side elevation" or a furgdoor corivertible sedan typeautomobile" embodying a foiin Of the inventilrlludfl' 2 ltei IIW.

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Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partlybroken away, of the center window andits associated elements, and corresponds to a view looking in 'thedirection of the arrow 2 in Figure l3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the same, taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line E-B of Fig. 2.

It is to be understood that the inventionis not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inyention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Figures 1 to 6 illustrate a four-door sedan having a convertibletopdesigned to fold into a booth at the rear of the` car body; but shownin Figure 1 in its extended or raised position and secured at itsforward edge iti a substantially vertical plane to a rearward extensionI2 of the windshield frame I 4. The body of the Vehicle comprises frontand rear doors I6 and I8 which open toward the front, the rear doorbeing Ahung on a pillar 20 by means of concealed hingesll The axis ofthe hinges is indicated in Figures 1, 3 and 4 by the reference numeral23.

The doors I6 and i8 are provided with fixed channel frames 28 and 30,each of which contains a rubber or felt runway 29 (Figure 5) which ischanneled to receive the edge of the window glass in vertically slidingrelation. The frames 4i8 and 30 are fixed to their respective doors IEand i8, the panes 24 and 26 being vertically slidable therein toconcealed positions in the doors, in the usual manner. The body `is alsoprovidedA with Ventilating windows 32 and windshield panes 311, whichmay be of usual construction; 'Ihereumay also be provided a pair ofoverhead panes 36in the extension I2. The belt molding of the vehicle isindicated at 38. l

Between the front and rear side windows is mounted a center window pane4 0 `whichis formed of heavy glass of approximately the thickness of theframes 28 and 30. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 6, the pane lli)is formed with a groove in each of its edges, and a pair of inserts 42,43, of metal orother material, are inlaid and cemented along said grooveand are secured together as by dowel pins 44.

securing means for certain elements described hereinafter, and also toimprove the appearance of the window by eliminating the conventionalchanneled metal frame. In place of the inserts 42, 43, plug-filled holesin the edges of the pane may be used.

An arm 46 is secured, as by welding, to the inner surface of the upperchannel of window frame 3i1,.as indicated in Figures 2 and 5, and eX-tends forwardly thereof, being secured to theinsert 42 by means ofmachine screws 48. A second arm 5D is secured to the lower forwardsurface of the frame 3D and extends forwardly thereof, being secured tothe insert 43 by means of machine screws 52.

cooperate with a series of molding strips 555 secured tothe uppersurfaces of pillar 2i) and of jthe front and rear'doors, to act as a damto minimiZe leakage between the pane 4l) and said upper surfaces whilepermitting lateral or angular movement therebetween.V

At the forward edge of pane 40 is secured an inner weatherstrip V58having a forwardly projecting ange designed to t against the frontwindow frame 28 to form a weatherproof seal. The rear edgeof pane 4l) isprovided with a joint seal as `described below.

,As seen in Figure 3, .the top I0 comprisesa rigid side rail extendinglongitudinally of the vehicle and comprising members 62 and 64 which arepermanently secured together and act to support the fabric wall 66 ofthe top which, as indicated at 61, extends downwardly along the outersurface of the rail to form a weatherproof seal, in known manner.

A retainer GBHis secured to the members 62 and 64 and serves in turn tosecure a channel- Y shaped eXible weatherstrip 10, of known conit andthe pane 46 to clear the lower edge of il' member 64. Y

j In the embodiment thus far described, it will be seenthat the pane 40is xed to and carried by the rear door I8, so that as the door i6 isopened,

i l it and the pane 40 will rotate about the hinge aXis 23nfrom thepositions shown in full lines in Figures 3 and 4 to the positions shownin broken lines in the same gures. ward portion of the pane will bendthe inner flange 12 of the weatherstrip 1| out of its path,

TheV Y chief function of the inserts 42,43 is to furnish A flexiblerubber weatherstrip 54 of channel shape is interposed betweenthe arm 50and the insert 43 and is designed to` In so doing, the for,-

4 the front edge of channel 30 by screws 19 as shown in Figure 6. Y

Although the invention has been described withV reference to aparticular embodiment thereof, it maybe embodied in other forms withinthe skill of artisans in 'this art, andV is not limited eX- cept by theterms of the following claims.

and similarly the rear portion of the pane will`V bend the outer flange14 out of its path. The weatherstrip 54 at the lower edge of the panewill also be deformed to permit it to pass the molding strip 56. Theflanges of both these weatherstrips are sufiiciently resilient to,return to normal position after deformation.

As will be seen in Figures 4 and 6, the pane 40 does not lie in theplane of pane 24, nor in the plane of pane 26, but in a plane disposedat a small angle. thereto, so as to follow the side contour of the body.The joint space between the pane 40 and the frame 36 is sealed by meansof a wedge-shaped rubber seal 18 which is compressed between the rearedgeY of pane 4Q and I claim: Y

1. A vehicle body having at each side a lower center pillar and twodoors provided with windows spaced from each otherlongitudinally of thebody, a permanently erected transparent panel disposed between saidwindows and having edges formed with a groove, an insert in said groove,supporting means on one of said 'Y 2. A vehicle body having at one sidea lower center pillar and two doors provided with slidable windows, apermanently erected transparent panel longitudinally disposed betweensaidV windows and having'edges formed with a groove,

an insert in said groove, supporting means onV one of said Ydoors xedlysecuring said panel to one of said doors, said insert comprisingfastening mechanism along at least one of said Y edges for retainingremovable weatherstripping, and d removable fastening mechanism coactingwith said insert to retain said weatherstripping in place, said panelbeing capable of withstanding breaking under normal use of said vehiclebody, said supporting means including a runway channel to receive Vanedge of the slidable window associated with said one door.

3. In a vehicle body comprising a roof, front and rear doors, and apillar separating said doors, a vertically slidable window carried byone of said doors and movable to a point above the top of said pillar,supportingrmeans comprising a runway channel for at least one edge ofsaid window secured to one of said doors, arms connected to saidsupporting means, a transparent Ipanel "carried by said arms andconstituting an extension of said pillar, Ythe edges of said panel beingformed with grooves, inserts in said grooves substantially flush withsaid edges, and removable fasteners engaging said supporting means, armsand said inserts to secure them together.

4. A vehicle body having at one side a lower center pillar and two doorsprovided with spaced windows, a permanently erected transparent paneldisposed between said windows and having edges formed with recesses,inserts vprovided with fastening mechanism positioned in said recesses,supporting means on one of said doorsV for carrying said panel,removable fastening mechanism coacting-with said supporting means andwith said inserts forretaining saidV panel, and

f' weatherstripping along at least one of said edges secured to saidinserts bysaid removable fastening mechanism, said supporting meanscomprising a guide channel for slidingV one of said Windows from aclosed to an open position. Y

5. In a vehicle body having a'main body portion Vterminating in alongitudinal belt line, a 1 collapsible top for said body,V frontV andrear closures at one side of said body including doors terminating atsaid belt line, a pillar separating said doors and terminating at saidbelt line, said 5 closures including longitudinally spaced slidablewindows carried by said doors and movable t0 a level above said beltline, supporting means fixed to one of said doors including a runwaychannel for one of said windows, a panel of sub stantial width supportedby said supporting means and forming a closure for the space betweensaid windows above the pillar when the doors are closed, and meansoperative to form a weather seal between said panel and the otherclosure when said doors are closed.

JOHN W. J. ACKERMANS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

OTHER REFERENCES Janoir Body, article on pages 26, 27 and 28 of Autobodyof January 1928.

